Florida: While Gov. Rick Scott has not yet decided to run against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, if he does, it would be a game changer for the battleground state of Florida. The governor has won reelection twice and can easily raise a lot of campaign money.

Scott is already filling his septic tank with money from McConnell's superpac. He will be running Against Bill Nelson, the people's senator. Gawd help us all get to the voting booth in droves. I hope it will include all our new Floridians from PR.

Off topic... restoration of voting rights for convicted felons who have completed their sentences will be on the ballot in Nov.

A new front is opening up in the battle for control of the United States Senate: Florida.

In a matter of days, Republican Gov. Rick Scott is expected to announce his candidacy to challenge sitting Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who is up for reelection this year. Scott is one of the best recruits for Republicans this cycle, in what will likely be a difficult national environment for the party.

Nelson has built a reasonably strong brand, representing Florida in the Senate since 2001, and as a pretty popular senator, he’s still likely favored in a state where Trump appears to be underwater. Scott, meanwhile, has never won a race by more than a point in years friendlier to the GOP. But however close those races were then, Scott is a serious threat.

The rivals would appear evenly matched: Nelson has a 51 percent approval rating, with only 26 percent disapproving, per Morning Consult; Scott has 58 percent approval and 31 percent disapproval.

Scott’s impending candidacy means Florida will be one of 2018’s marquee — and most expensive — Senate races. He will put Democrats on defense in yet another state, with the minority already facing a difficult map. They can’t afford to lose any additional seats if they’re to have any hope of reclaiming the majority — but the Trump factor, and the historic trend of midterm elections favoring the party out of power, should make Nelson the tentative favorite.

A new front is opening up in the battle for control of the United States Senate: Florida.

In a matter of days, Republican Gov. Rick Scott is expected to announce his candidacy to challenge sitting Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who is up for reelection this year. Scott is one of the best recruits for Republicans this cycle, in what will likely be a difficult national environment for the party.

Nelson has built a reasonably strong brand, representing Florida in the Senate since 2001, and as a pretty popular senator, he’s still likely favored in a state where Trump appears to be underwater. Scott, meanwhile, has never won a race by more than a point in years friendlier to the GOP. But however close those races were then, Scott is a serious threat.

The rivals would appear evenly matched: Nelson has a 51 percent approval rating, with only 26 percent disapproving, per Morning Consult; Scott has 58 percent approval and 31 percent disapproval.

Scott’s impending candidacy means Florida will be one of 2018’s marquee — and most expensive — Senate races. He will put Democrats on defense in yet another state, with the minority already facing a difficult map. They can’t afford to lose any additional seats if they’re to have any hope of reclaiming the majority — but the Trump factor, and the historic trend of midterm elections favoring the party out of power, should make Nelson the tentative favorite.

Scott has more money than God and he'll start airing back-to-back anti-Nelson ads as soon as he announces. It will be an infuriating six months.

Trump won FL by less than 2 percentage points. Given how Dems have been winning lately in rather red areas, I'd like to think that moderates and liberals who didn't bother to vote in 2016 will get out and vote for Nelson this year, easily pushing him over the top.

I am worried about Bill Nelson. Rick Scott is bombarding the airwaves and internet with advertisements. He's really pushing the "send a successful business person" and "successful business people have to get results", "send a successful business person to congress", etc. That is definitely going to be hard for Nelson to combat. And I've seen nothing from him. At all. Zip, nada, zero.

"I know that human being and fish can coexist peacefully"
--- George W Bush

I am worried about Bill Nelson. Rick Scott is bombarding the airwaves and internet with advertisements. He's really pushing the "send a successful business person" and "successful business people have to get results", "send a successful business person to congress", etc. That is definitely going to be hard for Nelson to combat. And I've seen nothing from him. At all. Zip, nada, zero.

For a hard kicking point out the failures of the current dotus, a so called "successful" (in failures) business person.

I had a perfectly lovely lunch ruined by a block of republican primary ads, not just for senate but also governor. Each candidate bragged how much Trump loved them and they'd be his biggest ass kisser evah! Rick Scott has been our guv for eight years, is now running for senator, and refused to do anything to help our toxic algae/red tide problem because his rich buds needed another tax break. His ad really takes the cake. He actually accused D sen Bill Nelson of being responsible for the bad water and he (Rick Scott) would go to Washington DC and fix the problem there, where is he wants his voters to think the problem originated, as opposed to the cesspool known as Lake Okeechobee. So don't blame him for SWFL's water problems. It's not the governor's fault.

Not surprised, it also wasn't his job as CEO to *know* his company was stealing billions from Medicare.

Of course, no mention was made of our other senator, republican Marco Rubio who has been in DC for six years.

I had a perfectly lovely lunch ruined by a block of republican primary ads, not just for senate but also governor. Each candidate bragged how much Trump loved them and they'd be his biggest ass kisser evah! Rick Scott has been our guv for eight years, is now running for senator, and refused to do anything to help our toxic algae/red tide problem because his rich buds needed another tax break. His ad really takes the cake. He actually accused D sen Bill Nelson of being responsible for the bad water and he (Rick Scott) would go to Washington DC and fix the problem there, where is he wants his voters to think the problem originated, as opposed to the cesspool known as Lake Okeechobee. So don't blame him for SWFL's water problems. It's not the governor's fault.

Not surprised, it also wasn't his job as CEO to *know* his company was stealing billions from Medicare.

Of course, no mention was made of our other senator, republican Marco Rubio who has been in DC for six years.

My absolute favorite (said with ) was the ad I saw yesterday at a pizza joint in one of the Northwestern 'burbs of Fort Lauderdale, in which Team Scott is accusing *Nelson* of 'cheating Medicare' or somesuch. It's like "Really, Dude, you want to take voters *there*? You seriously think that's a good idea this time around?"

"With Major Lawrence, mercy is a passion. With me, it is merely good manners. You may judge which motive is the more reliable." - Sir Alec Guinness, as Prince Feisal, Lawrence of Arabia

My absolute favorite (said with ) was the ad I saw yesterday at a pizza joint in one of the Northwestern 'burbs of Fort Lauderdale, in which Team Scott is accusing *Nelson* of 'cheating Medicare' or somesuch. It's like "Really, Dude, you want to take voters *there*? You seriously think that's a good idea this time around?"

That one makes me insane. My husband marked the mute button on the remote because, whenever Scott comes on our teevee, I would drop whatever I was doing, rush over and yell at the screen until the ad was over.

Sadly, Rick Scott has more name recognition that Bill Nelson. I bet half of Florida voters can't name the two senators from Florida. I am terrified that Rick Scott is going to take this seat from Nelson. All I see are Rick Scott ads. Almost nothing from Nelson. Nelson actually does things that are good for Floridians and good for this country. But Rick Scott is flooding the market with ads and Nelson is not. I hope he's running hard in other areas, maybe my area is just not worth his time. But, it's just freaking scary for me to be bombarded with nothing but Rick Scott.

"I know that human being and fish can coexist peacefully"
--- George W Bush

I've never seen a single ad where Rick Scott was running against his supposed primary opponent. He's been running against Nelson the whole time. That was a brilliant strategy, just acting as if he already had the Republican nomination and run a general election campaign right from the start.

"I know that human being and fish can coexist peacefully"
--- George W Bush

@ScottforFlorida
Follow Follow @ScottforFlorida
More
I disagree with @POTUS– an independent study said thousands were lost and Gov. Rosselló agreed. I've been to Puerto Rico 7 times & saw devastation firsthand. The loss of any life is tragic; the extent of lives lost as a result of Maria is heart wrenching. I'll continue to help PR

10:45 AM - 13 Sep 2018

“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.”
― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

I've never seen a single ad where Rick Scott was running against his supposed primary opponent. He's been running against Nelson the whole time. That was a brilliant strategy, just acting as if he already had the Republican nomination and run a general election campaign right from the start.

I saw a killer Bill Nelson ad at noon today during gone of the local news shows. At first I figured it was a PAC because it was so angry, but Nelson said he approved it. It came down HARD on Scott over the algae and Lake O disaster. Which reminds me, I need to send the good senator another check.

I've never seen a single ad where Rick Scott was running against his supposed primary opponent. He's been running against Nelson the whole time. That was a brilliant strategy, just acting as if he already had the Republican nomination and run a general election campaign right from the start.

I saw a killer Bill Nelson ad at noon today during gone of the local news shows. At first I figured it was a PAC because it was so angry, but Nelson said he approved it. It came down HARD on Scott over the algae and Lake O disaster. Which reminds me, I need to send the good senator another check.

"I know that human being and fish can coexist peacefully"
--- George W Bush

VENICE -- With the noxious smell of red tide hanging in the air and a fresh wave of dead fish washing up on nearby Gulf beaches, a large crowd of people incensed about the devastating algae bloom that has plagued the region for months directed their anger at Gov. Rick Scott during a campaign event in Venice Monday.

Protesters jammed the sidewalk and spilled into the street around Mojo’s Real Cuban, forcing Scott to enter the restaurant through the back door and leave the same way after just 10 minutes as members of the crowd shouted “coward.”

Scott didn’t take any media questions during the brief, tumultuous event and did not give a speech to the group of a few dozen supporters gathered inside the restaurant.

“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.”
― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Saw another Scott commercial today. If you were exposed only to Rick Scott for Senator commercials, you'd wonder how Nelson has managed to stay in office so long considering how he's single-handedly destroyed Florida's ecosystem, and intentionally to boot!

I always point out to people who'll listen that, prior to 2017, every time we'd have a red tide, Scott would blame Obama. But now does he blame Trump? Noooooooooooooo! Suddenly, it's all Bill Nelson's fault. Even (some of) my republican neighbors aren't buying it.

Florida’s hotly contested race for the U.S. Senate could be heading for an automatic recount today.

Republican Rick Scott holds a 34,503-vote lead over incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson out of more than 8.1 million ballots cast for a difference of 0.42 percent, according to unofficial returns posted by the state Division of Elections.

State law triggers a recount if the difference in a race is less than 0.5 percent. So if the returns stand, the state will count the ballots again. There was no comment from state officials early Wednesday.

Under Florida law, a machine recount is conducted when the margin of victory is 0.5 percent or less. If the margin is 0.25 percent or less after the machine recount, a manual recount is conducted.